The restoration of the painted eyes

Blenheim Palace and its Park and Gardens were created a World Heritage Site in 1987. Every year essential restoration and conservation programmes take place to ensure the fabric of the awe-inspiring Palace and Gardens are maintained for future generations.

In December 2007 work began to restore and conserve the panel of painted eyes above the main entrance to the Palace. The striking eyes, which have gazed mysteriously down on visitors entering the Palace for the past 80 years, had suffered from exposure to the elements and damage from a leak in the Portico roof above. It has taken 5 months for the project to reach completion on 16th April 2008.

The eyes were originally painted in 1928 for Gladys Deacon, the American-born second wife of the 9th Duke of Marlborough. The dramatic eyes, depicting three blue and three brown, were painted by the decorative painter and artist, Colin Gill. Gladys, who was famed for her blue eyes, is said to have climbed the scaffold to give the artist a bright blue silk scarf to work from. It is of note that there are very few other signs of Gladys Deacon at the Palace aside from a single photograph inside the Palace State Rooms, and on the faces of the stone sphinxes in the Lower Water Terraces.

The reason for the unusual eyes being painted remains something of a mystery and has baffled the historians as there is no written documentation about them. Speculation has included possible connections to the mystical ‘number three’ and the symbolic ‘evil eye’, or that the brown eyes could belong to the American heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt, first wife of the 9th Duke.

An early photograph showing the eyes being painted has a caption by Gladys “Colin Gill painting our eyes”. For this reason they are believed to be the eyes of the Duke and Duchess watching over the Palace.

The restoration of the eyes has involved intricate repairs to the plaster work and conservation of the original paint work by a team of specialists from Nimbus Conservation. Expert gilders from Campbell Smith used over 6,000 sheets of 24-carat gold leaf for the restitution of the gilded areas, to return the eyes to their former glory.

This restoration project is one of three which will be undertaken during the 2008 season. The other two projects are to repair the aging stonework of the South Steps and the columns of the archway to the Stable Court.

Click here for more information about restoration and conservation projects at Blenheim Palace.